Moss, moss, everywhere!

by Drix, Tuesday, May 10, 2016 9:35 AM

In Clark County and the surrounding areas, moss is one of the most common lawn problems. Believe me, all the lawn care companies in our area have struggled with this insidious, invasive, maddening turf issue. Moss is an opportunistic invader, gaining a foothold wherever grass thins, caused by any number of factors; leaf and debris damage, heavy shape, poor drainage, excessive shade, soil compaction, acidic soil (very common in our area) , heavy clay based soil (also very common in our area), dog damage, etc., etc., the list goes on.

The bottom line remains, moss is a huge problem in the Pacific Northwest. Our solution to the problem is quite straight forward. We do two applications per year that include moss control, highly recommend at least one lime application per year (which helps raise soil Ph, good for grass, bad for moss), and also offer aeration, which helps relieve soil compaction. Aeration and lime, done a minimum of once a year, should be a part of every comprehensive lawn program.

But where the “rubber hits the road” really depends on our clients. The only way to truly, efficiently, fight moss is to rake out the dead moss after our Round 2 application (fertilizer, moss and weed control) in the spring, and reseed the thin areas. We provide step by step instructions on this process, or can refer sister companies that can do this work, but the fact of the matter is, very few people are willing to follow up on this vital, necessary step. It requires either a lot of work on the client’s part, or a not inconsequential financial output to have the work done.

For the majority of our clients who choose not to invest in the rake out and reseed process, which is totally understandable, lime and aeration becomes even more important. These very basic, yet incredibly important services will make a huge difference in the overall quality, appearance and health of your lawn.

If you take a full program, with at least one aeration and lime application per year (and possibly a gypsum application for heavy clay soils) and do nothing else, you will have a lawn with much less moss. We guarantee it.